Сhаpter 281: Тhе Firе Моth Party 13
"Оf сourse." Sеeing him like this, Zhu Yаn's ехрrеssiоn softenеd slightly, and she offered а fаint smile.
Вut in Wang Вuzui's еуеs, evеrуthing hаd trаnsfоrmed. Еven the gloоmу prisоn cell seеmed filled with light.
Тhe pоrtrаit bеfоrе him wаs nо longer just а рortrаit. ХiuХiu's bell-likе laughtеr rаng in his ears, sеttling dеeр into his heart. Тhe figure was nоt сlеar, shrоuded in mist.
"Xiu..." Bеfоrе he соuld uttеr thе full nаmе, the mist dissiраted, аnd the figurе vanished аs if nothing hаd hарpеnеd. Wаng Вuzui lifted his gaze tо Zhu Yan.
"Just now... was that reаlly XiuXiu?" Нe was uttеrly соnfused, сompletely immersed in Wang XiuXiu's smiling face, already unable to distinguish illusion from reality.
Perhaps those who wish to believe in resurrection from death do not want to distinguish at all.
Zhu Yan nodded firmly. The defenses he had built up instantly crumbled. He smiled foolishly, then suddenly crawled on his knees to Zhu Yan and began kowtowing:
"I beg you, let me see her once more."
Seeing this, Zhu Yan actually felt a twinge of pity. Indeed, the hateful have their pitiable sides. After obtaining Shen Du's consent, she once again performed the Illusion Art. Thanks to Jing Lin's cooperation, the shadow of Wang XiuXiu reappeared, this time clearer, her voice and appearance identical to the portrait.
"XiuXiu!" Wang Buzui called softly, afraid of scaring his little sister away, not daring to approach, his eyes blurred with tears. "XiuXiu, your brother has missed you so terribly."
Now he was completely immersed in the world of illusion—the world where XiuXiu existed.
Zhu Yan grew anxious. She was not skilled in performing Illusion Art and feared it wouldn't last long. She wasn't sure if it would work.
Shen Du naturally noticed this. With his extensive experience, he took Zhu Yan's hand to encourage her.
Having just arrived here, she had discussed the Illusion Art with Jing Lin. Zhu Yan wasn't confident, but with Shen Du's full cooperation and unwavering support, she dared to be so bold.
If it didn't work, they would have to think of another way.
"XiuXiu was very close to me since childhood. We depended on each other for survival."
At that moment, Wang Buzui seemed to see again the scene of the little girl running toward him. Fragments of their childhood flashed before his eyes, most often the image of Wang XiuXiu holding his hand and skipping happily by his side.
Though many years had passed, that radiant smile remained etched in his mind, impossible to forget.
He smiled again, but the smile froze the next instant, turning sinister and eerie.
"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. XiuXiu died young." As he spoke these words, his heart seemed to tear apart. This was a fact he had never been able to accept.
Yet the sight of this youthful face gradually calmed him.
"What happened?" Seeing him silent for a long while, Zhu Yan finally asked.
Hearing her voice, Wang Buzui shuddered but quickly regained composure. "XiuXiu was killed by a local tyrant." His gaze grew somewhat vacant, completely lost in the hatred of those years.
He couldn't understand why that tyrant would harm such a young girl.
When he saw that small body lose all vitality in an instant, Wang Buzui's collapse was something only he could comprehend.
That face, always smiling, finally lost its color, turning pale and cold. He desperately wished to slice that tyrant into a thousand pieces, to grind him into mincemeat, yet even that could not quell his hatred.So he vowed that as long as he could avenge XiuXiu, he would pay any price.
"Later, someone told me I could bring XiuXiu back to life and punish all the evildoers in the world. Naturally, I agreed." He sighed deeply. At that time, he was nearly mad—as long as he could bring XiuXiu back, as long as he could avenge her, he would believe it.
"Why wouldn't I believe it? I had no reason not to."
For a person consumed by hatred, it was a lifeline, a straw to grasp when drowning to survive.
"I helped that person establish Guangchun Hall, and he put me in charge."
Back then, Guangchun Hall outwardly practiced medicine to save lives and had a decent reputation, but privately, it was training "Half-Faced Ghosts" to kill.
The first person killed was the bully who murdered Wang XiuXiu.
Wang Buzui carried it out himself.
He deliberately chose the exact same hour as when Wang XiuXiu was killed, even replicating the surrounding environment as closely as possible.
Seeing the panic on the bully's face as he faced death, Wang Buzui felt an indescribable joy. He deliberately mentioned Wang XiuXiu to the bully.
But perhaps too much time had passed, or perhaps the bully had harmed too many people and could no longer remember how much blood was on his hands. The bully had long forgotten this person and didn't remember killing a young girl. Wang Buzui immediately stabbed him in the arm.
Pain gnawed at his heart as he looked at the masked figure before him, fear taking hold.
Wang Buzui then stabbed the bully all over his body, watching him bleed, beg, cry out in pain, convulse, and curse. An unspeakable satisfaction filled his heart. Finally, he stabbed the bully in the chest, killing him instantly.
Only when the bully had breathed his last did Wang Buzui stand up, yet he felt no relief at all.
Looking down at the bully's twisted face, he chuckled foolishly and whispered, "Little sister, your brother has avenged you."
He crouched down, stared at the bully's chest for a moment, then used a blade to carve out the bully's heart. Only then did he feel somewhat better.
He ate the heart raw, determined to prevent the bully from entering the cycle of reincarnation, lest he meet his little sister again and bully her once more.
Later, the Half-Faced Ghosts of Guangchun Hall would imitate this method, taking parts of their enemies' bodies as they sought revenge.
The unique modus operandi and the masks of the Half-Faced Ghosts gradually spread their infamy.
Since they initially targeted bullies who oppressed the locals, cases involving the "Half-Faced Ghosts" were often left unresolved or hastily closed. In the eyes of the people, they were heroes who punished evil and upheld justice.
However, the methods of the Half-Faced Ghosts later began to distort, and more and more innocent people were harmed.
As more and more cases were reported, the authorities took notice and began to investigate rigorously.
Every crime leaves traces, and Mo Qianzhi was a capable and outstanding prefect. Through his relentless efforts, he discovered that the murders in the Gannan Circuit area were all linked to the "Half-Faced Ghosts." But discovering this was one thing—actually catching them was another matter entirely.
Due to the extreme brutality of their methods, the people grew fearful at the mere mention of the Half-Faced Ghosts, and gradually, they became too afraid to even speak of them.
They feared they might be next.
Wang Buzui stopped his narration and looked at Shen Du, who was deep in thought.
"What about Mo Qianzhi?" Shen Du asked.
"Him." Wang Buzui chewed on the name in his mouth, over and over.That Mo Qianzhi, upon reflection, filled Wang Buzui with resentment yet left him helpless.
Truly capable, yet impossible to see through as a person.
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